Smyrna times., 1887-08-03
The Car Window Again.

A good deal has appeared in the
New York Tribune of late in regard to
the control of the car window. Who
has the right to control 1.-THE man
who sits next, or both, or neither of
them? Each of these positions has
been advocated in these columns, with
a good many readers yet to be heard
from. But it is not that phase of the
car window question which we propose
to consider to-day. 1.-THE Mechanical
Engineer" remarks that so-called
easy chairs in drawing-rOOm cars have
given inventors a great deal of work."
Undoubtedly. But there is one thing
about railway cars that has not given
inventors a great deal of work, to wit;
how to build a car window so that when
it's down passenger can get it up,
and when it's up passengers can get
it down.
Why should this be SOP The human
race is nearly through the nineteenth
century. The dark ages disappeared
long ago. For very many years there
has been a general diffusion of know
ledge for those that have wanted it,
and compulsory education for those
that haven't. Railways have been in
operation since A. D. 1902. Windows
with glass date back to B. C. 1900.
Nevertheless no inventor has ever
arisen who has thought it worth his
while to fashion car window which
will not remain as immovable as Ply
mouth Rock when there is most need
of its being accommodating. No sight
is more common than that of a passeng-
er on railway car pulling the sinews
out of his arms and bursting his blood
vessels in a mighty but useless effort to
bulge car window. If, as is often
the case, the passenger is a young,
chivalric, susceptible gentleman who
has seized hold of the window at request
of girl lovely but not strong in the
wrists, he is apt to come out of the en-
counter disgraced in her eyes, and
with his constitution ruined for life.
The girl in her inexperience labOrs un-
der the impression that if the youth had
cared enough for her he would certain.
ly have raised the window. He sees
her scorn of his supposed inefficiency
in her eyes, and with cold bow leaves
her, goes forward to the smoking car
and at the next station gets out and re.
pairs to the nearest hospital for treat
ment. OfcOurse she sends back heI
engagement ring as soon as she gets
home, and they never meet again
Such heartrending tragedies are con.
stantly occurring ON all our railways
so that it is safe to affirm that the car
window does more to make the course
of true love run rough than any other
cause. Why is it, then that no famous
inventor brings his power to bear or
the car window? Why does the great
popular want of car window war
ranted not to stick under any circum
stances go all unsupplied? Is this sep
Grating of young lovers, this destruc
ton of sinews, this bursting of blood
vessels to 60 on forever?
Perhaps the best thing the travelling
public can do in the circumstances is
to offer prize for what they yearn for
One million dollars or more Ought
readily to be raised from the men anC
women of the United States who have
been travelling this oppressive summeI
and who have been bafled beaten anC
degraded in the eyes of fellow-passen
gers by car windows. Let us see i
there is not some inventor who vii
consent for a cool million spot cash t.
make a window that can be raised anC
lowered at pleasure.